Given the increasing importance of consumer-driven electronic word-of-mouth for
promotion, marketing researchers have sought to identify the types of content most likely to “go
viral.” Several studies suggest that pleasant content results in greatest pass-along, while
conflicting findings report that unpleasant content generates the highest probability of passalong.
The present study uses an experimental design to assess the relative impact of pleasant
vs. unpleasant Internet content, as well as the impact of emotional engagement per se,
conceptualized as flow, on consumer intentions. Analyses show that individuals who experience
flow are significantly more likely to pass along, download, or purchase content, regardless of
whether the content they observe is pleasant or unpleasant.